The European Union seems to have found a way out of the rut it has been stuck in for the past two years. Its leaders have agreed upon a reform treaty that will enable the 27-member bloc to move on. The EU’s constitution had been ratified by 18 countries but its rejection by French and Dutch voters in referendums two years ago rendered it defunct. This put a brake on the EU’s forward movement, prompting some of its members to look for ways to break the logjam. The outcome of these efforts is the new reform treaty, which will replace its rejected constitution. The reform treaty will provide a welcome jumpstart to the EU. It provides for decision-making by majority vote rather than unanimous endorsement. The process of decision-making has thus been made easier. The treaty removes the threat of national vetoes that have blocked the EU functioning in the past. The double majority system will be followed in decision-making but this will be phased in from 2014 and fully implemented three years later. The role of the EU’s foreign policy chief – he will be known as the High Representative – has been expanded to give the bloc a louder voice on the global stage.
Critics of the reform treaty point out that it has become a complex web of evasive clauses in its attempt at brokering a compromise. Some argue that it is a watered down version of the old constitution, that the spirit of what the EU stood for has been lost. Others insist that in substance it is the old constitution, only it has a new name – a reform treaty – and terms like “law” and “framework law” that so upset the nationalists have been replaced with more acceptable terms like “regulations” and “directives.”
The reform treaty provides another chance to EU members to get their act together. It is a pity that a bloc that has tremendous potential to play a global role is being held back by petty rivalries and narrow nationalist thinking in some countries. During the recent summit, bickering between Poland and Germany was on full display. The reform treaty can facilitate the EU’s functioning. But beyond that it is for its members to pull together for the bloc to emerge as a truly effective global player.
The European Union seems to have found a way out of the rut it has been stuck in for the past two years. Its leaders have agreed upon a reform treaty that will enable the 27-member bloc to move on. The EU’s constitution had been ratified by 18 countries but its rejection by French and Dutch voters in referendums two years ago rendered it defunct. This put a brake on the EU’s forward movement, prompting some of its members to look for ways to break the logjam. The outcome of these efforts is the new reform treaty, which will replace its rejected constitution. The reform treaty will provide a welcome jumpstart to the EU. It provides for decision-making by majority vote rather than unanimous endorsement. The process of decision-making has thus been made easier. The treaty removes the threat of national vetoes that have blocked the EU functioning in the past. The double majority system will be followed in decision-making but this will be phased in from 2014 and fully implemented three years later. The role of the EU’s foreign policy chief – he will be known as the High Representative – has been expanded to give the bloc a louder voice on the global stage.
